- Quit MATLAB and end any lingering MATLAB.exe processes in Task Manager.
- Go to Settings - Apps - Installed apps - select the target MATLAB release - Uninstall - follow the prompts.
- If the uninstaller fails, run it directly from the install folder:
- R2023b and earlier: C:\Program Files\MATLAB\R20XXx\uninstall\bin\win64\uninstall.exe
- R2024a and newer: C:\Program Files\MATLAB\R20XXx\bin\win64\MathWorksProductUninstaller.exe
- Delete the MATLAB installation folder for that release, for example: C:\Program Files\MATLAB\R20XXx. Reboot first if Windows reports files in use.
- Delete the user preferences for that release: C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Roaming\MathWorks\MATLAB\R20XXx. You can jump there via %appdata%.
- (If used) remove cached Support Packages for that release: C:\ProgramData\MATLAB\SupportPackages\R20XXx.
- Delete any downloaded installers for that release from your Downloads folder (for example, matlab_R20XXx_win64.exe and any related temp folders).
- Restart Windows.
- (Optional) Reinstall cleanly using a fresh installer. If you suspect interference, installation without third-party apps active would help.
MATLAB - Clean Removal on Windows
Please follow the steps below to fully remove a specific MATLAB release from a Windows PC, this ensures all remaining files and settings are cleared for a clean reinstallation in the future.